An Assassin's Drive
by Ryu Matsuo
Summary: When Ezio brings a mysterious codex with no cipher to Leonardo, things become out of hand when a member of the Borgia family comes to visit the workshop. Meanwhile, outside of the Animus things happen to Desmond. Can Shaun relieve Desmonds' tension?


_Hey Everyone~ I know I should be working on my OTHER fanfics, but this brainchild would just not go away. This fic is a 3-parter, the first 2 chapters follow Ezio and Leonardo, and the final chapter follows Shaun and Desmond. It's pretty much smutt non-stop. I use Italian in the first 2 chapters, simply because of the language glitches in the Animus, and I wanted it to be as close so I could get it to being like in game. Enjoy~_

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><p>A warm sunny afternoon in Venezia was lolling by slowly. The watery canals of the city had barely any boat traffic for what the time was. To the south of the thieves guild just past the brothel lies an artists workshop. That morning had been particularly busy for the young inventor, painter, architect, which ever you preferred to call upon his services for. One calling after the other, the young man was exhausted from all the requests and was nearly ready to put up his sign to say he was out, or closed. As Leonardo went to fetch his sign from the side work table there came a knock at his door, and a white clad hooded man entered his workshop.<p>

"Ah! Ezio, how are you?" cried the man out of joy. "It has been, too long since we last saw each other."

The hooded man approached the man of many trades and handed him a scroll before speaking.

"_Bene_, Leonardo I have another Codex for you to decipher." Ezio said watching as Leonardo took the scroll and began looking over it.

Random mutterings came from Leonardo's mouth as he examined the Codex. "Strange, this Codex is unlike the others... Ezio, where did you find this Codex? I can't seem to decipher it... at least not without needing the key." he asked now looking the Assassin in the face. Ezio was some ways away from Leonardo, he was examining an odd contraption that was hanging from the ceiling. Turning to face away from Leonardo, Ezio spoke.

"_Molto bene_, I knew you would not be able to decipher it, my good friend, without the key. Which, I so conveniently have." Ezio said with a sly smile. Leonardo quirked a curious eyebrow.

"Well then, let me see it Ezio." Leonardo opened his hand to the assassin asking for the key.

Ezio just chuckled and kept the key hidden in his assassin robes. He moved closer to Leonardo and placed a hand on the work surface, the other on Leonardo's waist. Ezio began to speak, slowly, softly, almost as if he was trying to seduce the man before him.

"Ah, you see, Leonardo, I am a man of principal. I cannot just give it to you, perhaps you can... earn the codex key." he put an emphasis on 'earning the codex key', as if he had planned this all out.

Leonardo put a hand to his chin and thought for a moment. Earning the codex key would certainly have it's rewards, just as Leonardo was no fool to Ezio's hinting. He knew both would get what they wanted before long. Leonardo decided to play the part of an innocent fool, he shrugged and shook his head

"Why, Ezio, how would I _earn_ the key from you? Do you wish to know something? Perhaps try out my latest invention, or have my assistants prepare assassination dummies in the courtyard for you to practice on? Or... do you have a suggestion?" Leonardo was certainly acting the fool very well, Ezio merely chuckled.

"You see, Leonardo, I have something more.." he paused for a moment moving closer to Leonardo, his face coming dangerously close to the artist's. "...Carnal in mind for you to earn the Codex Key."

Leonardo shivered slightly at the Assassin's words. Never had he been spoken to like this. At least, not since he and his apprentice Giovanni had their rough romp two years past. It sent sparks to his neglected areas to be spoken to in this way. He would have given him self then and there had there not been a knock at the door, forcing the two men far apart, Ezio back to examining the hanging contraption, Leonardo greeting his new guest.

ΩΣΔΣΩ

Ezio paced the room very quietly, listening to Leonardo discuss business with the gentleman on the opposite side of the room. He tinkered with various contraptions and looked over blue prints of different kinds of machines. He was beginning to become restless, going over blue print after blue print, contraption after contraption. Nearly two hours had gone by since the businessman stopped by to discuss Leonardo's next work, a handsome pay of 2,000 Florins, courtesy of the Borgia family.

Despite Leonardo's knowledge of the Assassin's hate for the Borgia family, work was work, and 2,000 Florins was quite the fortune for the artist. The white clad Assassin made his presence known by "accidentally" knocking over an unfinished device of unknown usage.

"Ah, don't mind my friend Roberto, he is... _agitato_. He had business here before you arrived." Leonardo said calmly walking over to the device. Examining the thing he placed it back on the table and turned to face Roberto. Not before Ezio grabbed Leonardo's arm.

"_Rapida'mente_, get rid of this man, he is Borgia, if you do not rid of him, I will." Ezio said not taking his eyes off of Roberto.

Sensing the danger in Ezio's tone Leonardo nodded slowly, not wanting to have a mess in his workshop he smiled at Roberto, and motioned for Roberto to join him and his assistants in the courtyard outside. Roberto kept a watchful eye on the assassin as he agreed to a change of location. Ezio waited a few minutes before sneaking outside. Scaling the wall, Ezio climbed onto the roof to listen in on Leonardo's and Roberto's conversation. They were dealing with a Borgia, one small thing Leonardo or an assistant said wrong, and it would end them all.

Granted the conversation that took place was hardly interesting to the assassin, he kept an ear on Leonardo's speech. Occasionally Leonardo would nearly slip up, would almost say the wrong thing, but managed to correct his statements and avoid disaster. That is until Roberto asked a very crucial question.

"Who is that man that is in your workshop?"

Without any warning, four Borgia soldiers entered the courtyard, swords at the ready. Prepared to strike down Leonardo and his assistants. Ezio watched carefully, his next move had to be planned carefully or he would lose the artist. He didn't mind if some assistants were injured, or killed, he knew he had to protect Leonardo.

"Ah ha, you see he is nothing but an old friend from Firenze. I came all the way from Firenze you know? He is the son of a banker, I believe one of the Medici's boys taught Ezio banking after his father died" Leonardo spoke quickly, creating a lie that would hopefully end the confrontation.

Leonardo said too much. He gave away Ezio's identity without realizing it. Roberto grinned evilly, he motioned for a guard to come close.

"Go capture our Assassin, he is in the workshop." Roberto whispered, the guard left and went to the workshop. "So! The great Leonardo Da Vinci is not so high and mighty, he helps the common Assassin!" he chuckled darkly. An evil grin became plastered on his face. "So, Leonardo what did this Assassin bribe you with to earn your friendship? Hm? Bahaha!" Roberto's laughter was soon cut short, his grin faded away slowly, he looked to the guard standing closest to one of Leonardo's assistants "Kill the useless assistant, he is not needed."

The guard nodded, unsheathing his sword he advanced slowly to the cowering assistant. Ezio needed to wait it out, as soon as the guard returns he'll assassinate all four guards, and Roberto last. The guard chuckled darkly as he impaled the assistant in the gut, forcefully pulling out his sword with his foot he kicked the assistant to the ground. Leonardo gasped.

"Marcelo!" he cried, he made a move to be near his dying assistant but was stopped by Roberto's own blade.

"Ah ah, you stay where you are until the assassin is brought to me." Roberto traced the edge of the blade on Leonardo's cheek. The cold steel sent goosebumps down the inventor's body.

Roberto lowered his blade only momentarily as the guard returned, with no assassin in custody.

"_Signore _Roberto, he was not there." reported the guard.

Roberto's face contorted with rage, he ordered the execution of a second assistant. "That's the _secondo assistente_ you have let die Assassin! Why do you not stop us? Ah ha! The assassin, he is too scared to do anything!"

Roberto cackled as Leonardo stayed in place as Nicolae dropped to the ground in a dead heap. Roberto was too busy in his insane laughter to notice the clearly-not-hiding-anymore-assassin-on-the-roof. Ezio waited a few more seconds before he leaped off the two-story building and onto two of the guards in the courtyard. Landing on the two guards, hidden blades firmly lodged into their chests, both dead acting as a cushion to break Ezio's fall. Before the other guards had time to react, Ezio came up behind one and shoved the hidden blade deep into the guards' back. The fourth guard tried to make a run for help but it was useless, Ezio hurled a throwing knife at him.

It was almost like the knife had a homing program, it lodged itself with dead accuracy into the guards back, dead center of his heart. Roberto stopped his insane laughter as he looked at his men laying on the ground, bleeding out on the cobble stone street. Roberto's expression contorted again, this time of rage and hate.

"_Assassino_ you end here_!" _screeched Roberto as he lunged at Ezio, sword flailing wildly after the assassin.

"Come on Roberto Borgia, meet your fate!" shouted Ezio as he dodged each of Roberto's attacks.

Roberto was quick on his feet, he dodged nearly every blow that came from the assassin's own sword. He made one fatal step, a miscalculated error and came too close to Ezio. Ezio was quick in his movements as he plunged his poison tipped hidden blade into Roberto's arm. Scrambling to get away Roberto drops his sword and comes after Leonardo, a hidden dagger was concealed in the man's sleeve.

"Die! Traitorous fiend, you are no ally of the Borgia's!" He made a run for Leonardo.

Ezio saw the look of panic in Leonardo's eyes. He knew he had to stop Roberto from going any closer to Leonardo, so he jumped between the two taking the length of the dagger's blade in his left arm. Ezio hissed in pain as Roberto took a step back to admire his 'glorious triumph' in injuring the infamous assassin. Ezio, in pain, stood his ground and pulled out the dagger and tossed it to the ground. The men were at a stand still. No one moved, they both stood there staring, calculating, planning. Until...

Roberto's right arm swung violently to the left, as if he sucker punched someone. A severely lopsided grin became throughly plastered on his face. It took a moment before the next move was made. Roberto took a step back as if here were drunk. Ezio walked towards Leonardo and advised him to stand far back. Ezio walked calmly towards Roberto. The Borgia man was flailing around quite a bit now. He had lost control of himself by now, and Ezio was there to put the man out of his misery.

With the hidden blade thrust deep into the man's chest he ceased all movement.

"You have fought bravely Roberto. _Requie scatto_ _in pace" _Ezio laid the man on his back and closed his eyes as he finished his prayer.

Looking towards Leonardo and knowing he was safe made Ezio very happy.


End file.
